Havana Events

Havana Carnival

Cubans take enormous pride in their cultural heritage and
clearly consider throwing a great party to be part of that
tradition. Carnival is lauded as the most long-standing and most
popular festival of this jovial and musical nation and they go all
out in the months of July and August with parades, street parties,
colourful costumes, wild dancing, congo lines, fireworks and
traditional music. The fun and frolics reach high levels over
weekends, when the locals put their toil and troubles away and
bring out the rum. Carnival comes with some entertaining
traditions, like the carrying of huge effigies of well-known people
paraded along the coastal road, the Malecon, and the gaudy
'faroleros', decorated lamp posts carried aloft by dancers. The
wonderful thing about Carnival is the celebration of all aspects of
Cuban heritage and culture including contingents like the Chinese
Cubans who partake very actively in festivities. Other cities in
Cuba also celebrate Carnival but not necessarily at the same time
as Havana. Although Santiago de Cuba is renowned to host the
largest and most riotous celebrations, Havana's Carnival remains
the most well-known and well-attended event for tourists and
foreigners. Santiago's Carnival is in late July, usually coinciding
with the celebrations in Havana; Trinidad has its own, smaller
version of Carnival in late June.

Havana Jazz Festival

Held every year, Havana's feast of jazz is eagerly awaited by
fans around the world, offering four days of concerts, jam sessions
and workshops. It claims to be the ultimate Latin music event in
the world and its popularity speaks for itself. In 2012 Havana is
hosting the 28th edition of this long-standing festival. Organisers
claim to ensure that prices are kept as low as possible to ensure
that the festival is affordable. Many artists travel to Cuba to
perform without any remuneration, the event having gained a
prestigious reputation for quality and good organisation. Past jazz
masters who have attended the festival include Dizzy Gillespie and
Charlie Haden. The star of the show is Cuba's own famous Chucho
Valdes, who usually performs with other local artists and
international guests in the grand finale concert on the final
night. For true jazz fanatics there is a Gold Access Havana Jazz
Festival Pass, which grants the bearer access to all performances
and venues. Even if you are not keen to partake in all the events,
the Jazz Festival marks a good time to visit the city of Havana
because there is an extra festive atmosphere and many touristic
activities are discounted at this time to encourage good attendance
and flaunt Havana's many attractions.

International Festival of New Latin American Cinema

The annual International Festival of New Latin American Cinema
gives film lovers a chance to see new independent feature films,
documentaries, shorts and animations exploring Latin American and
Caribbean culture in cinemas across Havana. The festival exists to
promote and acknowledge cinema that enriches or reaffirms the Latin
American and Caribbean cultural identity and 2012 marks its 34th
year. Categories in the competition include Fiction, Documentary,
Animation and Opera Prima (for filmmakers on debut). Be sure to
catch films from the 'Made in Cuba' category for the best local
flavour. The festival also showcases international cinema and
attracts many filmmakers from all over the world. The organisers
host seminars and workshops in various venues, to promote the art
of filmmaking in Latin America and to instigate discussion on
cultural and artistic issues. Pick up a copy of the Film Diary for
information and reviews of all participating films. This festival
finishes just before the International Jazz Festival begins in
Havana and many people like to get a taste of both; December is a
period of jubilant cultural celebration in the city and a popular
time to visit.